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What Causes Headache, Muscle Tension In Upper Neck And Trapezius Muscle?
Question: Hi, for the past 2.5 months I have been having tension headaches and muscle tension in upper neck and traps. I think it all started from a round of sinusitis that made me dizzy and full of brain fog. Sinusitis is gone lasted about 14 days but still carry a ton of tension in my neck. It's like snap crackle pop when I turn my head side to side. The sinusitis kicked in my anxiety which I have not had a major bout with in 3 years. I also so have little head spasms through out the day. I have been to my GP. The basic answer there is relax, meditate and run. All of which I do have done for many years. Right now med wise I take klonopin when needed. I try to stay away from the benzos. So maybe twice a week lately. I just got a prescription for flexeril, after two night time doses tension headache is better but the tingles in the head the tight upper traps and frontal neck muscles are still there. My shoulders feel like they pull up to my ears. Some days my diaphragm is very tight. My ears constantly feel of fullness, always needing to clear them.
I sleep totally fine, i do wake up with a slight crick in my upper neck most every morning. I do go to a chiropractor to manage the symptoms. I work at a computer 8 hrs a day. Try my best as of lately to have good posture, it was terrible before. Stand up often. Stretch my head and neck every night.
At this point I am wondering if this is a nighttime teeth clenching problem, upper neck problem or tumor. Maybe the bacterial sinusitis triggered my GAD to just turn on 24/7. Blood work looks good. I also discovered I had chlamydia somewhere in the middle of all this, that was treated and is now gone. I have changed my diet eating very healthy dropped 15# to 190#, 6', bp is normally 125/79 standing 130/75. As I type this the little spasms are jumping all over my head, driving me nuts.
I sleep totally fine, i do wake up with a slight crick in my upper neck most every morning. I do go to a chiropractor to manage the symptoms. I work at a computer 8 hrs a day. Try my best as of lately to have good posture, it was terrible before. Stand up often. Stretch my head and neck every night.
At this point I am wondering if this is a nighttime teeth clenching problem, upper neck problem or tumor. Maybe the bacterial sinusitis triggered my GAD to just turn on 24/7. Blood work looks good. I also discovered I had chlamydia somewhere in the middle of all this, that was treated and is now gone. I have changed my diet eating very healthy dropped 15# to 190#, 6', bp is normally 125/79 standing 130/75. As I type this the little spasms are jumping all over my head, driving me nuts.
Brief Answer:
Anxiety could be the reason
Detailed Answer:
Hello, Welcome to Health Care Magic
You are a 41 year old healthy male. You had an attack of sinusitis which lasted for 14 days and then triggered other symptoms like headache, pain and rigidity in neck, giddiness etc symptoms. You are taking Clonazepam on SOS basis 1-2 tabs a week. After taking Flexril you have developed a little relief. You have to work for about 8 hrs on computer. Blood pressure is normal and no postural hypotension.
It appears that most likely cause of your symptoms is tension headache. You have to work on computer which can aggravate the symptoms. Pain in neck, giddiness etc symptoms are due to headache only. The tightness of diaphragm or chocking sensation in chest is due to anxiety only. I would like to know if you are getting relief I. symptoms on taking Clonazepam? If there is relief then we can confirm the diagnosis to some extent.
Other possibility for symptoms of haadache and neck tightness is some vertebral lesion. It could be spondylitis or chronic fatigue. Although you stretch your neck but still chronic fatigue may result in spondylitic change in cervical column which can cause symptoms of neck pain, headache. Get your X-Ray done to rule out any cervical lesion.
Now treatment part-
Amitryptiline is a drug of TCA class and this is a good antidepressant drug with nice effect in anxiety and pain conditions. Doses of 25-50 mg in evening time result in improvement of headache and pain in neck. Apart from this Beta blockers like Propranolol will help in decreasing anxiety and will also provide prophylaxis against headache. Consult your psychiatrist for details of prescription.
Use of analgesics should be limited for SOS basis only. Take the medicines only in excess pain.
Some medicines like Pregabalin can be used in such symptoms. The medicine will relieve pain and will decrease anxiety also.
Continue to do your relaxation exercises, this will help in speedy recovery.
Visit your psychiatrist for diagnosis and management.
If you have more doubts you can ask again
Thanks
Anxiety could be the reason
Detailed Answer:
Hello, Welcome to Health Care Magic
You are a 41 year old healthy male. You had an attack of sinusitis which lasted for 14 days and then triggered other symptoms like headache, pain and rigidity in neck, giddiness etc symptoms. You are taking Clonazepam on SOS basis 1-2 tabs a week. After taking Flexril you have developed a little relief. You have to work for about 8 hrs on computer. Blood pressure is normal and no postural hypotension.
It appears that most likely cause of your symptoms is tension headache. You have to work on computer which can aggravate the symptoms. Pain in neck, giddiness etc symptoms are due to headache only. The tightness of diaphragm or chocking sensation in chest is due to anxiety only. I would like to know if you are getting relief I. symptoms on taking Clonazepam? If there is relief then we can confirm the diagnosis to some extent.
Other possibility for symptoms of haadache and neck tightness is some vertebral lesion. It could be spondylitis or chronic fatigue. Although you stretch your neck but still chronic fatigue may result in spondylitic change in cervical column which can cause symptoms of neck pain, headache. Get your X-Ray done to rule out any cervical lesion.
Now treatment part-
Amitryptiline is a drug of TCA class and this is a good antidepressant drug with nice effect in anxiety and pain conditions. Doses of 25-50 mg in evening time result in improvement of headache and pain in neck. Apart from this Beta blockers like Propranolol will help in decreasing anxiety and will also provide prophylaxis against headache. Consult your psychiatrist for details of prescription.
Use of analgesics should be limited for SOS basis only. Take the medicines only in excess pain.
Some medicines like Pregabalin can be used in such symptoms. The medicine will relieve pain and will decrease anxiety also.
Continue to do your relaxation exercises, this will help in speedy recovery.
Visit your psychiatrist for diagnosis and management.
If you have more doubts you can ask again
Thanks
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
Answered by
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